1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an automotive rearview mirror assembly having a remotely controlled tiltable mirror.
2. Description of the Relevant Art:
Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 61(1986)-26651 shows a remotely controlled automotive rearview mirror assembly including a mirror which is angularly movable to and fro about a substantially vertical shaft with respect to an automobile on which the rearview mirror assembly is mounted. More specifically, the rearview mirror assembly comprises a base fixed to a door of the automobile, a housing angularly movably supported on the base and housing the mirror, and an electric motor disposed in the housing and energizable to actuate the housing. When the automobile is to be parked in a small space, the rearview mirror assembly can be folded rearwardly or turned toward the door so as to reduce the overall width of the automobile. When the rearview mirror assembly is subjected to a shock from behind, it is tilted forwardly to absorb the shock. The housing is positioned in normal and rearwardly tilted positions by a relatively shallow circumferential groove defined in the base, a pair of recesses defined in the base at the opposite ends of the groove and deeper than the groove, and a single ball movably riding in the groove. When the housing is in the normal position, the ball engages in one of the recesses. When the motor is energized to start turning the housing, the ball is moved out of the recess, in and along the groove, and then into the other recess. When the ball engages in the other recess, the housing is positioned in the rearwardly tilted position. The housing can be moved back from the rearwardly tilted position to the normal position in a similar manner.
The conventional remotely controlled rearview mirror assembly is however disadvantageous in that a large force is required to move the ball out of the recesses, large uncomfortable noise is sometimes produced by the motor depending on the load on the motor, and the housing tends to move up and down.